"Where Did Your Heart Go?" by Wham!

Song#:  2893
Date:  10/11/1986
Debut:  75
Peak:  50
Weeks:  8
Genre:  Pop



Pop Bits:  This duo of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley was wrapping up their career together with one final album. In the UK and other territories it would be a compilation LP titled The Final that mixed hits with a few new tracks. In the US it would be a single disc of the new tracks called Music from the Edge of Heaven. The LP spawned two Pop Top 10 hits including "The Edge of Heaven" (#10), which would be their last Top 10. Their label tried for one more by releasing this third single, but it wasn't meant to be. It spent a short couple months on the chart topping out at the halfway point while getting to #33 at AC. The album would be a platinum seller that peaked at #10. With all obligations tidied up and completed, the duo amicably split and went their own ways. By 1988, Michael would be one of the hottest stars in music.

ReduxReview:  This song was a good fit for Wham! (well George Michael, really). It's not too far off from the original version (see below), but Michael gave the song a smoother groove and turned it toward ballad territory. It wasn't out of line from other Wham! songs and it was a nice track, but it wasn't necessarily a great choice for a single. The song did hit #1 in the UK, but that was because it was a double-sided single with "The Edge of Heaven." Since both songs were released individually in the US, they had to stand on their own and this one just didn't catch on. On an odd note, this could be the only pop single to chart that references a "rusty can of corn..."

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  This is a remake of a song originally recorded by the quirky US dance-rock band Was (Not Was). It appeared on their 1981 self-titled debut album. It was issued out as a single, but it failed to chart. The song was written by the band's founders Don Was and David Was. Despite the last name, the two are not brothers. Don Fagenson and David Weiss were childhood friends who got involved in music and decided to form their own band. They decided to be music brothers and adopted the same last name of Was. The band would have success in 1987 with the #7 Pop hit "Walk the Dinosaur." Don Was would also branch out to producing albums for other artists. He has been a very successful sought-after producer for years and has worked with a myriad of A-listers including The Rolling Stones, Elton John, The B-52's, Carly Simon, Garth Brooks, Bob Seger, and Willie Nelson. He also produced Bonnie Raitt's Grammy-winning 1989 comeback album Nick of Time and its two studio follow-ups. He has won five Grammys including Producer of the Year in 1994.

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